Chapter 13

A Chapter by soliloquy

Travis and Alex start a back and forth game where neither wants to blink.

Travis makes a dinner of cold sandwiches with lunch meat and mayo, chips, cole slaw, and a large cookie for dessert. He also has milk and juice available for consumption at the table. Neither of them speak while eating dinner. Both are hungry but neither want to talk right now or even make eye contact.

Travis doesn’t want Alex to think he cares whether she likes the meal or not, and Alex doesn’t want to say anything that might anger Travis. She is also enjoying finally being able to eat after such a tense day.

Travis appreciates that Alex doesn’t make anymore negative commentary over dinner about the overall situation, or the meal itself, as that would only just makes things more difficult. Travis at this point wants to get going on an actual plan of action since there is no doubt that at this point Alex’s status of missing has become known around town.

Her parents are probably freaking out and making phone calls! I think I’ll just wait until morning to make any demands. At least she doesn’t know my real name or who I am.

Meanwhile, Alex is happy that she has started to regain her composure again and has actually started to relax. She knows the precariousness of her predicament and she wants to be calm in order to stay safe and not make things worse by pushing Travis into doing something rash.

Alex feels she needs to become flirty and irreverent again in order to make Travis more agreeable and less intense. Alex likes men, and she feels more in control when a man is interested in her and wants to please her. Alex also finds Travis’ rugged manner, size, build, and good looks to be attractive. She hates men who are without confidence and who need direction. She likes older men as well and prefers to date them. If this were a totally different type of situation Alex may have already been the first to make a move.

The silence is broken when Travis says something. “So, I suppose people are starting to miss you by now?”

Alex answers cautiously as she doesn’t want to make things easy for Travis. She loves both her parents and is afraid that since they have little available cash and are barely able to pay for her education that this could be dangerous to her situation. Her parents just separated recently and are both struggling financially. She is also worried that neither will be very concerned about her when they find out about her being taken captive.

Maybe they will be too busy or distracted by their problems to even care about me!

Alex answers him with, “That could be. I don’t know. I don’t have to answer to anyone really, so maybe not yet.”

Alex is also worried that if she tells Travis that he is essentially wasting his time wanting money from people that don’t have it she could be in danger so she feels a need to play along with the rich girl persona.

Travis replies with, “Are you close to your parents? I mean, do you talk to them much?”

“I don’t live with them. I stay in a dorm right now on campus.”

“But, do you get along with them?” Travis asks again.

“Of course I do. I talk with them once or twice a week.”

I like the back and forth of this conversation since I know where it is heading.

He wants to know if my parents will be willing to pay up!

“Do you have a roommate who might be wondering where you are right now?” I am starting to feel annoyance at this pointless conversation.

“My roommate Gelda spends most nights at her boyfriends place. I only see her about every other day.”

I stand up now as I have had enough of this.

She might just be pulling my chain. Somebody has to be missing her about now!

As Alex finishes eating,I spend time putting things away and making preliminary sleeping arrangements. I doubt if she would be stupid enough to try and run for it tonight. And if she does,she does. But I don't think she really wants to run around outside in the cold woods tonight,but if she does then maybe she needs that dose of reality.

I glance back at Alex as she stands up from the table after finishing her meal. She is of course still wearing her pretty college girl clothes. This again reminds me of her beauty and that I am alone with a beaiutiful young flirty woman in a cabin in the deep woods.

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